The present invention relates generally to mattress pads for protecting mattresses and more particularly to fitted mattress pads formed with less fabric materials and capable of a better fit with mattresses of standard top surface size and range of heights.
Mattress pads are commonly used and are available in various forms. Among the most common forms of mattress pad is one having a quilted top platform and a side skirt of a material that is cut in one or more panels and sewn to fit a standard size mattress, such as twin, full, queen, king or California king. This type of mattress pad usually has an elastic band or cord attached partly or wholly around the lower periphery of the skirt to retain the pad on the mattress by drawing the lower edge of the skirt under the mattress. The quilted top of the mattress pad, referred to as the top platform, is sized to cover the top of the mattress and is joined to the skirt which, is differently constructed. The skirt is usually of a height sufficient to fully cover the sides and ends of the mattress and extend under the mattress. The height of the skirt is sized to fit all or substantially all mattress heights. The problem with mattress pads of this construction is a matter of fit. More particularly, it is a matter of loose fit of the skirt which expresses itself as a baggy or puffy appearance and an unwanted shifting of the top platform on the mattress pad. Various attempts have been made to overcome the problem but they are not entirely successful. Typically, the problem is addressed by joining elastic material in various forms to the non-elastic skirt material. Some mattress pads join a single elastic band intermediate the top and bottom of the skirt. The band extends longitudinally around the periphery of the skirt to form a gathered material that can be stretched over the sidewall of the mattress. See U.S. Pat. No. 6,353,947. Another construction uses a plurality of spaced apart elastic cords each extending longitudinally around the periphery of the skirt. The cords are positioned generally across the full height of the skirt and form gathers in the skirt material. The mattress pad is fitted on the mattress by stretching the corded skirt material over the sidewalls. The individual cords at least partly grip the sidewalls of the mattress. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,985,953. Still another mattress pad construction elasticizes the sidewalls by sewing or ultrasonically bonding a sheet of elastic material to the skirt material. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,546. Usually this type of skirt is made in a three layer construction comprising an inner and outer layer of fabric and an intermediate layer of elastic material. Each construction is intended to gather the skirt and prevent the top platform from shifting position on the top surface of the mattress by at least partly gripping the mattress.
The difficulty with the foregoing constructions is that they do not really address the root cause of the problem which is the fact that the skirt is longer than the periphery of the mattress except where it is joined to the top platform. Thus, the skirt itself does not grip the sides and ends of the mattress except when it is combined with an elastic as described above. Even then, the gripping action takes place principally at the corners of the mattress.
The reason the skirt is longer than the periphery of the mattress is a direct result of having to join the skirt to the top platform. More particularly, it is a consequence of having to join together two dissimilar fabric materials. In sewing the thinner skirt material fabric to the multi-layer and therefore thicker quilted platform, the tendency is for the skirt material to bunch as it is stitched to the platform. Consequently, several more inches of skirt material are used than the actual perimeter dimension of the platform. Thus the actual perimeter dimension of the skirt is longer than the perimeter dimension of the platform and hence the mattress everywhere throughout the height of the skirt except at or just adjacent to the place where the skirt and platform are joined together. Therefore, the skirt fits loosely over the side and end walls of the mattress. While the conventional elastic at the bottom edge of nearly all mattress pads, including the elasticized skirts described above, functions to pull the skirt under the mattress and partly facilitates retention of the pad, there ordinarily is insufficient force to completely overcome the fullness or blousing of the skirt. In addition, the excess skirt material is wasteful.
As noted above, it is common practice to incorporate elastic material into the skirt or sidewall of the pad in addition to the conventional elastic in the bottom hem. This additional elastic tends to hold the mattress pad in place and make the skirt look like it fits tightly against the sidewall and ends of the mattress but the incorporation of elastic material into the skirt adds cost in the form of additional labor and materials.
Another way of preventing the mattress from shifting and of taking up the excess skirt material is to strengthen the elastic at the bottom edge of the skirt so that it pulls the skirt against the sidewalls with greater force. This also adds cost and, more importantly, has the disadvantage of making it more difficult to install and remove the mattress pad because of the requisite force needed to overcome the pulling power of the elastic.
Since there is little variance in the perimeter dimension of mattresses from manufacturer to manufacturer within a given category (i.e., twin, full, queen, king or California king) it is possible to provide a mattress pad skirt as an uninterrupted continuation of the top platform. In other words, the mattress pad is made like a conventional fitted sheet except it is fully quilted on the top, sides and ends. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,338,693. This mattress pad structure fits well because the corners can be formed and sewn together for snug fit of the skirt. Moreover, any shift in the mattress pad position is of little consequence because it is fully quilted. However, a fully quilted mattress pad is more costly to manufacture because it uses additional quilting materials for sidewalls which serve no functional purpose as padding.
What is needed but not provided by the prior art is a mattress pad that is fitted to a particular mattress size to allow for a snug fit without an excess of material. Further, what is needed and not provided by the prior art is a mattress pad that is formed with less steps and manual handling in order to reduce manufacturing costs.
Briefly stated, the present invention comprises a fitted mattress pad for covering the top and sides of a mattress. More particularly, the pad provides a good, snug fit that minimizes shifting of the pad. The pad includes a first layer of fabric material, a second layer of fabric material and a layer of batting intermediate the first and second layers. The pad also comprises a skirt for covering the sides and ends of a mattress. One of the first and second layers is generally sized to a peripheral dimension to form the top platform of a mattress pad. The batting layer is generally sized to a peripheral dimension to form the top platform of a mattress pad. The skirt is an integral extension of one of the first or second layers of the mattress pad. The first layer, second layer and batting layer are joined together to form a unitary mattress pad.
The present invention also comprises a fitted mattress pad that includes a first layer of fabric material, a second layer of fabric material and a layer of batting intermediate the first and second layers. The pad also comprises a skirt for covering the sides and ends of a mattress. One of the first and second layers is generally sized to at least a peripheral dimension approximating the top dimension of a mattress. The batting layer is generally sized to at least a peripheral dimension approximating the top dimension of a mattress. The skirt is an integral extension of one of the first or second layers of the mattress pad. The first layer, second layer and batting layer are joined together to form a unitary mattress pad.
The present invention also comprises a fitted mattress pad for covering the top and sides of a mattress. The pad includes a first layer of fabric material, a second layer of fabric material and a skirt for covering the sides of a mattress. One of the first or second layers is generally sized to a peripheral dimension approximating the top dimension of a mattress. The skirt is an integral extension of one of the first or second layers of the mattress pad. The first layer and second layer are joined together to form a unitary mattress pad.
The present invention also comprises a fitted mattress pad for covering the top and sides of a mattress. The pad includes a first layer of fabric material, a second layer of fabric material, and a layer of batting joined to one of the first or second layers. The pad also includes a skirt for covering the sides and ends of a mattress. One of the first or second layers is generally sized to at least a peripheral dimension approximating the top dimension of a mattress. The batting layer is generally sized to at least a peripheral dimension approximating the top dimension of a mattress. The skirt is an integral extension of one of the first or second layers of the mattress pad. The batting layer and the layer joined thereto are joined to the other of the first and second layers to form a unitary mattress pad.
The present invention also comprises a method for forming a fitted mattress pad. The fitted mattress pad includes a first layer of fabric material, a second layer of fabric material, a layer of batting intermediate the first and second layers and a skirt for covering the sides of a mattress. The method comprises placing the layer of batting on the first layer of material such that the outer edges of the batting layer are spaced generally equal distances from the outer edges of the first layer of material. The method also comprises placing the second layer of material on the layer of batting such that the outer edges of the second layer of material are spaced generally an equal distance from the outer edges of the first layer of material. The method further comprises joining at least the second layer of material to the first layer of material whereby the distance from the outer edge of the first layer to the outer edges of the second layer defines the skirt of the mattress pad, and forming corners in the skirt.
The present invention also comprises a method for forming a fitted mattress pad. The fitted mattress pad includes a first layer of fabric material, a second layer of fabric material, a layer of batting and a skirt for covering the sides of a mattress. The method comprises placing a layer of batting on the second layer of material such that the outer edges of the batting layer are generally aligned with the outer edges of the second layer of material. The method includes joining the layer of batting to the second layer of material and placing the combined second layer of material and layer of batting on the first layer of material such that the outer edges of the second layer of material are spaced from the outer edges of the first layer of material to define the skirt. The method further includes joining at least the second layer of material to the first layer of material whereby the distance from the outer edges of the first layer to the outer edges of the second layer defines the skirt of the mattress pad. The method further includes forming corners in the skirt.
The present invention also comprises a method for forming a fitted mattress pad. The fitted mattress pad includes a first layer of fabric material, a second layer of fabric material and a skirt for covering the sides of a mattress. The method includes placing the second layer of material on the first layer of material such that the outer edges of the second layer of material are spaced generally an equal distance from the outer edges from the first layer of material. The method also includes joining at least the second layer of material to the first layer of material whereby the distance from the outer edges of the first layer to the outer edges of the second layer defines the skirt of the mattress pad, and forming corners in the skirt.